GUIDE FOR PARTICIPATION IN URBAN DEVELOPMENT PLANNING

Transcription

1 GUIDE FOR PARTICIPATION IN URBAN DEVELOPMENT PLANNING

2 Guide for participation in urban development planning Published by: AmBerO consulting, representative oice in Belgrade, Kralja Milana 23, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, GIZ Oice Serbia, Brzakova 20, Belgrade/ Responsible: Harald Müller, Team Leader AmBerO Belgrade Authors: Ratka Čolić, Djordje Mojović, Mladen Petković, Natasa Čolić Photo credits/sources: Ratka Čolić, Branko Begović, AmBerO Belgrade Text editing: Goran Dimitrijević Design and prepress: Ana Raković Cover page: Andjela Kuč Printed and distributed by: SAVPO, d.o.o., Jovana Popovića 59, Stara Pazova Print run: 500 copies Place and date of publication: Belgrade, May 2013 A publication within the GIZ-project Strengthening of local land management in Serbia Implemented by: Partner Organisation: ISBN CIP - Каталогизација у публикацији Народна библиотека Србије, Београд 711.4(497.11)(035)

3 GUIDE FOR PARTICIPATION IN URBAN DEVELOPMENT PLANNING Belgrade, May

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5 FOREWORD This guide is a publication of the GIZ / AmBerO-ICON project Strengthening of local land management in Serbia. To a large extent, it is based on experiences from the project and practices that have arisen as a result of the implementation of new planning instruments during the year 2011/2012. Research and development of the document was led by Ratkа Čolić and Đorđe Mojović, with the help of Mladen Petković, Nataša Čolić and Ana Raković from the Urban Development Program (UDP). Work on the guide was directed by Harald Müller and Ratka Čolić. Incentives for the production of the guide and professional supervision were given by Babette Wehrmann. GIZ/ AmBerO-ICON project wants to express its special gratitude to all who have taken part in this process and without whose help this publication would not have been possible: Darko Petrović (Municipality of Despotovac Construction Directorate), Dejan Petrović (Municipality of Despotovac); Evica Rajić, Ivan Blagojević, Mirjana Andrić, Ana Matović (ECOlogica Urbo, Kragujevac); Milojka Radojković, Mina Petrović (Municipality of Kladovo); Dragana Biga, Jelena Milićević (Аrhiplan, Aranđelovac); Mirko Miladinović, Aleksandra Sretović, Dragana Bikić, Slaviša Čamagić, Goran Vuković, Aleksandar Simović, Tijana Aksentijević Adamović, Nenad Nerić (Planning and Construction Directorate, Kraljevo), Zvonko Kovačević (City of Kraljevo); Mirjana Ćirić, Dragan Jevtović, Dušan Minić, Lazar Mandić, Nataša Ivanović (Urban Planning Directorate Kragujevac), Nebojša Vasiljević, Bojana Divac, Saša Milenić, Slavica Saveljić, Nada Milićević, Slavica Đorđević, Saša Milićević, Dejan Dačović, Aleksandar Milojević, Vlado Vučković, Tomislav Vukadinović, Nataša Pešić Radosavljević, Đorđe Đelić, Snežana Milisavljević, Jovan Pavlović Bojadžić, Ljiljana Tirnanić, Marija Stanojević, Aleksandar Beljaković, Zoran Jovanović, Predrag Pantić, Radosav Vulović, Slavoljub Stojković (City Administration and relevant institutions of the City of Kragujevac); Vesna Cepenjor, Mirjana Cakić Mladenović (Municipality of Majdanpek), Vesna Vandić (Tourist oice Majdanpek); Marija Jovin, Siniša Temerinski (ArhiArt, Belgrade); Dejan Filipović, Slavoljub Dragićević (Faculty of Geography, Belgrade); Nenad Krčum, Vladislava Živanović Ristović (Construction, Urban Planning and Land Development Directorate, Smederevo), Nenad Krstić, Katarina Kodžas Jovanović (The City of Smederevo); 5

6 Svetlana Jevđović Matić, Danica Radivojević, Zorica Obradović, Nevenka Petrović, Mila Arsović, Ruža Penezić, Ljiljana Glišić Jevđović, Ana Milivojević, Nataša Milović Stefanović, Vidan Janković, Jelica Pašić Jovanović, Ivana Radović, Svetlana Drakul (The City of Užice); Zoran Radosavljević, Božana Lukić (Ministry of Construction and Urban Planning of the Republic of Serbia); Klara Danilović (Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities of Serbia); colleagues from german companies that were giving technical assistance to the projects: Ina Zerche, Armin Busch, Martina Kleinwächter (Complan, Potsdam), Jörg Schatzmann (ASTOC, Кöln), Heiner Haass (DMC-Consult, Hannover), Silke Klein (PHF, Berlin); facilitators of the participatory events: Ratka Čolić (project manager) and Viktor Veljović (national consultant), as well as Nataša Čolić and Mladen Petković (UDP, Belgrade); those who took part in interviews prepared for the purpose of this Guide: Dragana Biga, Nenad Krčum, Svetlana Jevđović Matić, Dragan Jevtović, Milica Joksić, Mirko Miladinović, Ana Milivojević, Jelica Pašić Jovanović, Darko Petrović, Evica Rajić and Siniša Temerinski; interpreters: Aleksandra Živković and Snežana Gvozdenac, and technical support in organization of the workshops: Nataša Rastoder, Katarina Đorđević and Nenad Popović (AmBerO Consulting Belgrade). 6

7 ABOUT THE GUIDE Milan Miljević, State Secretary, Ministry of Construction and Urban Planning of the Republic of Serbia Contemporary urban development planning in Serbia has to respond to a number of requirements: requirement for harmonization with European standards in the ield of sustainable development planning and democratization of society, adaptation to new conditions of market economy, as well as to special conditions of the context in which changes take place, and where it is necessary to understand the prevailing political culture, adapt to the institutional framework and limited resources for local development, and deal with diferent interests and tradition. Urban planning legislation in Serbia has always been known for the way the participation in planning is treated through the established instruments, procedures and mechanisms. These procedures are primarily related to the formal legal process, conditioned by the legal nature of the plan, in which participation functions mainly as a means for legal protection of the participants in the planning process. Important resources for the development of the profession are practice examples or demonstration projects, where the local context is a priority in the elaboration of the guidelines for urban development, application of participation, land use and so on. Through the examples of contemporary international practice tested during the year 2011/2012, the project Strengthening of local land management in Serbia in Despotovac, Kladovo, Kraljevo, Kragujevac, Majdanpek, Smederevo and Užice, citizen participation and stakeholder involvement were applied so as to achieve more signiicant efects of urban planning and more certain implementation of plans, to provide social legitimacy and better coordination of decisions. The Guide presents advanced practice, and points out the possibilities for improving the existing procedures by introducing early participation. These are the novelties which could contribute to the improvement of the normative framework of urban planning legislation in Serbia. 7

8 Heinz Wilhelm, German Ambassador in Serbia For more than ten years, the Federal Republic of Germany has supported Serbia s rapprochement with the EU. The main areas of cooperation have included development of public infrastructure, promotion of a sustainable economic development, modern civil society and eicient administrative structures. In this respect, principles of democracy like transparency and citizen participation play an important role in the policy-making process. From the experiences with infrastructure and urban development projects in Germany, but also in Europe, we have learned that the involvement of citizens as early as possible in the planning process and the consideration of their interests within a transparent deliberation process are crucial for the public acceptance of plans and projects. Public participation has been a key element of a modern policy-making process for a long time. Therefore also, the European Union has declared 2013 the European Year of Citizens, which was linked to the invitation to the citizens to articulate themselves, to participate, and to seek and test new ways of citizen participation. The introduction of new participation procedures in urban development projects is an important task of the Serbian-German cooperation project for Strengthening of local land management in Serbia, implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). This Guide documents participation procedures, which were tested in pilot projects in various Serbian cities, and summarizes their results. Experiences in pilot projects have shown that the early involvement of citizens, but also of public and private institutions, create positive impacts such as more eicient resolution of planning conlicts, improved quality of planning, identiication of citizens with their developed environment and, not least, increased conidence of citizens in local political decisions. The Guide shows a range of diferent forms of participation in the area of urban development and addresses decision-makers, planners and, not least, citizens afected by planning. It contains a wide variety of suggestions and advices for stronger involvement of citizens in local urban planning projects. I hope that these new approaches which have been jointly developed with all partners will be widely adopted in practice. 8

9 Dr. Babette Wehrmann, International expert on land governance Urban development planning, when done by experts, generally is excellent. If citizens and stakeholders have been involved in the process it even responds to their needs and priorities. No matter how bright and experienced experts are, they can never have all the insights local people who live and work on the ground can contribute to a planning process. Citizen participation and stakeholder engagement therefore increase the quality of urban development plan. This guide invites the reader to make participation a common practice in urban development planning and provides the necessary guidance for it. Distinguishing between three forms of participation informing, consultation and active participation diferent state-of-the-art participation methods are presented. All of them have been adapted to the Serbian context and already been tested in urban development planning in Serbia. The guide also provides guidance on when to include which type of participation in the existing formal planning procedures. Easy to read low charts show which planning methods have been included at which step of the planning procedure in the case scenarios presented in the inal chapter. When reading the guide it quickly becomes clear that, although citizen participation and stakeholder engagement create some additional costs in the beginning of the planning process and require some additional time, a lot of time and money can be saved once the plan has been inalized as it is much more ready for implementation than plans that have been prepared without the valuable inputs of those who know best what is needed citizens and stakeholders. 9

10 Marija Maruna, Ph. D. Assistant Professor in the Department of Urban Planning, Faculty of Architecture, University of Belgrade Urban development planning in Serbia is at a crossroads. Everyday experience of urban planning practice shows that the traditional planning is facing many diiculties in transitional circumstances. The democratic changes and market economy have created a new development framework which requires a whole new set of values and a new way of thinking. This is primarily related to the change in decision making, and delegation of rights and responsibilities for the decisions made. For the spatial development, the way of decision making and establishing consensus on development policies is of vital importance. New model of decision making requires a balance between diferent interests and balancing the power of interested parties. These facts cause the adaptation of the planning process to suit the needs for the creation of an arena for agreement and the establishment of consensus on development policies. In such circumstances, the urban planning practice needs to change its role from the arbitrary to intermediary and controlling one and adopt the principles of participation in the planning of urban development. For professionals in Serbia, mostly educated in the socialist society and on the basis of engineering traditions, this kind of change is particularly challenging. Awareness of the importance of perceiving the socio- economic aspects of spatial development and the need to involve the actual stakeholders in the planning process develop slowly. Therefore, this guide represents an extremely valuable material that testiies about the successful experience of the application of participatory methods in urban planning practice in Serbia. Its particular value lies in the foundation of participatory planning principles in the actual urban planning practice and its adaptation to urban planning system in Serbia. 10

11 Đorđe Staničić, Secretary General of the Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities Urban and Spatial Planning is the traditional and original jurisdiction of local self-governments in Serbia, implemented by a number of local experts with years of practical experience. However, the lack of quantity and insuicient quality of urban planning documents are often cited as some of the obstacles to local economic development. Plans are often assessed as insuiciently lexible and as an inadequate basis for responding to the demands of commercial sector. In changed conditions of the market economy and private land ownership, it seems that the process of plan preparation is even more complicated, and its adoption lasts longer. Urban plans often lack contact with reality, and they do not relect the actual needs of space users. The introduction of participatory methods into the planning process is one way to improve the quality of urban plans at the local level. Through public participation and engagement of stakeholders and citizens, we add legitimacy to the planning process, check the feasibility of proposed solutions and exclude potential spatial conlicts at the earliest stage. In this way, the plans become closer to future users, while the planners and engineers come out of their technician role to become the facilitators of the process negotiators whose task is to translate the needs of citizens into the language of practice. The Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities Association of Cities and Municipalities of Serbia, through its involvement and especially through the work of the respective Board Of Public Works And Housing, advocates for the quality improvement of local urban planning, as a tool for more eicient and sustainable management of resources at the local level. We believe that this Guide will also provide a contribution to this common goal. 11

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13 INTRODUCTION Participation has a long tradition in planning processes in Serbia - it has been an integral part of urban planning since the 70s of the last century. In the last decade, participation has been actualised in the ield of strategic and action planning and policy development in various sectors local sustainable development, economic development, environmental protection, housing, social welfare, tourism development, etc. However, the current practice of urban planning in Serbia is characterized by the skepticism of professional elites and public administration in relation to participatory planning. Participation is considered as a relict of the past times of self-governance in urban planning, when planners had more power and thus were more eicient. Along this line, the regulatory changes in the last decade were moving in the direction of shortening the planning procedure and minimization of the importance of participation, precisely in order to accelerate the procedure for issuing building permits and to encourage investments. Participation in urban planning is usually recognized by special methods and techniques used for informing, consultation and active participation of citizens, such as advertising, public inquiry, discussion groups, presentations, submitting objections to draft plans, etc. In addition, there is a certain level of cooperation between relevant institutions participating in the process, and, to a lesser extent, consultations with investors in the plan development process. Although participation is considered as one of the key elements of decision making in the ield of public policies, the potential for its application in practice is generally unknown, even in urban planning. The intention of this guide is to point out the possibilities for greater involvement of participation aiming at improvement of urban planning quality in Serbia based on the elaboration of more realistic and more feasible plans and accomplishment of greater social legitimacy of planning. This guide is based on the live examples of participatory methods applied within the framework of the GIZ / AmBerO-ICON project Strenghtening of local land management in Serbia during the year 2011/12. The goal of the project was to test and to introduce new, market-oriented planning instruments. The practice examples, statements of the participants fellow urban, spatial and environmental planners, suggest that the lack of a formal framework does not represent an obstacle for the introduction of participation. The achieved results are encouraging in terms of the possibility to improve the quality of urban plans and to provide the democratization of the planning process in existing circumstances in Serbia. 13

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15 CONTENTS FOREWARD ABOUT THE GUIDE INTRODUCTION WHAT IS PARTICIPATION? Deinition Why use participation? Fields of application Beneits Problems Participants Stakeholder analysis Formal and informal participation HOW TO CONCEIVE PARTICIPATION IN PLANNING PROCESS? Levels of participation PARTICIPATION METHODS SCENARIOS BIBLIOGRAPHY AND SOURCES GLOSSARY 15

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17 WHAT IS PARTI CIPA TION? Photo: AMBERO There is a general agreement that participation is a process which guides decision making and that its primary contribution lies in the fact that the problems are being discussed. For some, participation is a very practical experience of obtaining information from citizens on speciic topics and generating a sense of ownership. For others, the main objective is to develop capacities and airm position, broaden horizons, establish better social networks and strengthen the sense of personal power. There are also people who do not think about participation in terms of democracy, but simply use it as a means for efective development and implementation of projects. And inally, there are those who believe that the whole process is purely political and that it directly afects the power dynamics and the decision making process.

18 DEFINITION Participation is a right to take part in the local governance 1, a process that allows inluence and control over decision making, but also a process of learning how to listen, recognize and accept diferent opinions, feelings, values and knowledge. In the end, it is a set of principles rather than ideology, more a question of ethics than a model 2. The participatory approach implies the inclusion of various actors in a way that their views, opinions and concerns are analyzed and incorporated into the planning process. The planning process consists mainly of two components: participation of citizens, which includes a two-way low of information, and involvement of stakeholders, which aims at decision making and implementation of plans. Participation is implied at all stages - from initial development vision to monitoring and evaluation of the plan implementation. Inclusion of diferent perspectives can be achieved in many diferent ways, from the submission of proposals to inviting stakeholders to control the decisionmaking process. WHY USE PARTICIPATION? Public participation and involvement of stakeholders contribute to the formation of an active citizen body, inluence the development of personal skills and social awareness, and contribute to the establishment of new relationships and displacement of power and resources in governing local and urban development. Involvement of stakeholders enables recognizing interests and inluence, creates an opportunity for a timely resolution of conlicts and contributes to a more realistic and efective planning. If the purpose of conducting a participatory process is not clear, its failure is certain. Diferent ields of application have diferent lywheels. The four key objectives of participatory action in the ield of public policies are: Governance, namely the strengthening of democratic legitimacy, social accountability and encouragement of active citizenship; Social inclusion and social justice: building relationships, social capital, equality and empowerment; Improving the quality of public services, to suit the real needs of local community and relect its values; Developing capacity and knowledge - for individuals and institutions, as a basis for the future development of local community Belongs to a group of political human rights in the strictest sense which guarantees citizens a real inluence on the conduct of public afairs (Article 25, paragraph 1 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, UN, 1966). 2 Healey, P. (1997). 3 Involve (2005).

19 Photo: AMBERO FIELD OF APPLICATION Participation is used in urban/spatial planning, local sustainable development planning, traic planning, waste and water management, tourism development, organisation and company management, regional development planning, social planning, development and protection of cultural heritage, natural resources and landscape, urban and architectural design and determining the use of public spaces, housing reconstruction and improvement in working with local communities (social conlicts, integration...), etc. The participatory process can be efective at the various levels of developing and monitoring policies, strategies, regulations, plans, programs and speciic projects. BENEFITS Basic principles of participation emphasize its strengths: diversity of actors involved, fairness, equality, openness and transparency, accountability, conidence gaining, eiciency and efectiveness. The beneits are numerous, from the redistribution of authority and power to establishing mechanisms for identifying and targeting interests, overcoming conlicts and ensuring the implementation of decisions. PROBLEMS Participatory approach requires signiicant resources - inancial means, trained staf, time, knowledge and institutional arrangements. Participatory process has little chance of success if: Actors feel resistance because they fear manipulation or believe their interests can be satisied in some other, better way; Government and politicians worry that their power of decision making will be limited and compromised, and do not support the process; There is no room for action as the major decisions have already been made; It is not possible to provide a diversity of social groups and inclusion of those who otherwise would not be involved in the decision making process. In case of need for harmonization of conlicted interests, participation can extend the duration of the planning process. 19

20 Photo: AMBERO PARTICIPANTS While the term participation traditionally implied the involvement of all interest groups, and especially those who usually do not take part in the decision making process, new interpretations of participatory approach are being directed towards the relevant actors, stakeholders. Speciication of characteristics and roles of stakeholders in the participatory process is based on the analysis of stakeholders (according to their interest and inluence) and on the preparation of a list of stakeholders. Following groups typically difer among stakeholders: government / politicians, experts / urban and spatial planners, investors, various interest groups and the public (citizens, organized either in groups or individually) 4. In that way, all the people who might be afected by changes, positively or negatively, directly or indirectly, are included. Analysis of the participants, the purpose of which is to identify all the actors who would be involved in the process, is used in both the preliminary phase of the participatory process and during its implementation. STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS 5 Step 1. Determining interest groups, institutions, organizations, individuals and public administration representatives, who are in any way interested in or responsible for the plan or project, are located in the region, have an inluential position, or can be afected by its implementation; Step 2. Grouping by type - individuals, organizations, public administration and others; Step 3. Detailed overview the most signiicant stakeholders are being selected, those who are expected to exert the biggest inluence and contribution and cannot be left out. The most convenient way is to deine 20 4 Healey P. (2001). 5 GTZ (1997).

21 three categories: active participants, those who beneit from, and those who are afected by the plan or project; Step 4. Setting priorities the decision as to whose interests and views should be given priority in deining a problem, which groups need external assistance, which interest groups should be supported in order to ensure a good performance and how to perceive them, which conlicts will arise by supporting interest groups and which measures can be taken to avoid such conlicts and, most importantly, how the plan or project will afect the group. FORMAL AND INFORMAL PARTICIPATION Formal participation consists of methods of public participation strictly envisaged by laws and regulations, whether they are directly related to planning and development of settlements and public spaces or to exercising human rights which can be applied. This may include: the right to information, freedom of expression, freedom of speech, the right of association, the right of petition, the right to institute proceedings before a court, the right to public participation in decision making at a local and national level, the right to development, the right to a healthy environment, and so on. Formal procedural requirements for participation are helping to preserve the interests of diferent groups, contributing to accountability and transparency of the process, but are also helping to establish a balance between the rights of participants to directly participate and the need of government to provide an eicient framework for planning. Informal participation is not required by law, and it conduces to higher legitimacy in decision making, and serves as an incentive for a better urban governance and improvement of the quality of life. Compared to formal participation, it includes a much wider range of methods and provides a greater lexibility and freedom in arbitration. It is used throughout the whole planning process at the beginning for the purpose of actor speciication, at the stage of problem deining, goals formulation, veriication and evaluation of plan solutions, and for reaching the agreement on plan implementation. An example is set by strategic and action plans, the preparation of which typically involves informal participation. 21

22 HOW TO CONCEIVE PARTICIPATION IN PLANNING PROCESS? When using participation, it is necessary to have a clear picture of the desired goal. Every situation is unique, implies speciic issues, people, history, location, structure of organizations and institutions involved, decision making systems, etc. Key factors for participation are: purpose, context, process and outcome 6. The purpose of participation is to achieve a certain efect. It can be: legitimacy of decision-making, a shared work involvement, understanding of the issues and creation of new ideas, social networking and exchange of ideas and experiences, informing, or reaching some of the general goals of participation (governance, social cohesion, social justice, service quality improvement, capacity and knowledge development). Understanding the context is signiicant in order to: provide ongoing relationships with important activities, address the needs of actors, rely on past experience, avoid duplication and achieve rapid and appropriate progress. Factors afecting the success of participatory process are: the method of decision making and the way in which the participation was previously being implemented. 6 Involve (2005). Photo: AMBERO 22

23 Photo: AMBERO Creating a participatory process means to consider how to achieve a goal, including the decision which methods to use and when. The process should always be in accordance with both the purpose and the context, as well as the decision making method. The choice of individual method is inluenced by the nature and the stage of planning process. Visible results of the process (outputs) such as new information, reports, meetings, workshops with diferent groups, posters, exhibitions, presentations, interviews, and new research results are useful, but, on the whole, do not essentially contribute to the purpose of participation. Achieving the overall results (outcomes) is a real proof that the process makes a diference. That could be: improved personal or working relationships, wider accountability framework, agreement on the goals of a program or a plan, identiication of problems, generating new ideas, new partnerships, reducing conlicts, creation of social capital, service improvement, policy changes, money saving, capacity development, knowledge, new initiatives, behavior changes... The efectiveness of a particular participatory method depends directly on the preparation quality prior to its implementation. This primarily implies careful consideration of the questions how to use the results of interaction (visible results and broader impacts) and how to position initiatives, decision making process and systems, such as local authorities. 23

24 LEVELS OF PARTICIPATION Levels of participation may vary from passive (receiving information), followed by consultations (such as public inquiry), to interactive participation (workshops, negotiation, mediation, etc.). Diferent levels of participation 7 are appropriate at diferent stages of the planning process from preliminary analysis of the situation, problem identiication and proposals for intervention to decision making, plan approval and monitoring of implementation. Тhe recent division is based on the spectrum of levels, developed by the International Association for Public Participation 8. Diferent levels display informing, consultations and active participation, based on a partnership in which citizens, stakeholders, experts and politicians are actively engaged in a debate. Similar to this is the inclusion model 9, applied in international practice of participatory planning. But what are the goals of participation at diferent levels? Informing provides objective and balanced information which helps understanding the problem, alternatives, beneits and / or opportunities. The aim of consultation is to get feedback through a direct work with stakeholders, in order to ensure that their views and aspirations are perceived and understood. By using collaboration or cooperation tools (active participation), a partnership is achieved in every aspect of decision making, including the development of alternatives and identiication of preferred solutions. Choosing the appropriate level of participation should be given due attention, because it entails the selection of participants, themes and issues for discussion and deliberation, and setting the goals of participation. Each level of participation is appropriate for a particular situation in which a certain result is to be achieved. Higher quality results are obtained by applying methods of diferent levels of participation. 7 One of the most famous examples of deining the level of involvement (in terms of the extent to which power is delegated to the participants) is Sherry Arnstein s ladder of participation (Arnstein Sherry, 1969). The levels are: manipulation, therapy, informing, consultation, placation, partnership, delegated power and citizen control. 8 IAP2 (2004). 9 OECD (2001). 24

25 List of methods presented in the guide and diferent levels of participation which each of them provides Methods I K AP P. 1.1 Advertising Newsletters Internet advertising Exhibition panels Conference Info point Discussion group Survey Internet consultations Choice catalogue Public inquiry Workshop Design workshop World café Visioning Ideas competition round table Speak out Feedback and follow-up 64 I K AP LEGEND Informing Consultation Аctive participation 25

26 Informing Consulta tion Informing represents a one-way low of information from the government and its institutions 10 to citizens and other stakeholders. In addition to the usual methods of media communication such as TV, radio, newspaper and oicial journals, informing also includes phone calls, information points, organization of conferences, publications or web page announcements. High quality, efective informing is the basis of every participatory process. It allows stakeholders to learn about planned activities, as well as to understand their role within a given context. Informing also provides higher awareness and networking of institutions involved. In the planning process, informing becomes a regular part of participation and not just a separate activity. Consultation is a two-way form of communication in which policy makers seek and gather opinions on current initiatives and activities. They relate to topics and issues that may be general or very speciic, depending on the situation and the set goals. Consultation methods are applied when it is necessary to determine the implementation measures, when searching for the most suitable approach to solve a speciic problem, or when you need to check already suggested or applied solutions. They are used at various stages of a planning process and implementation of decisions, policies, programs and projects, often together with informing and active participation. It is extremely important that all participants understand how the information and comments obtained will be reviewed and further implemented, and to receive a timely information about the impact of consultation on the outcome of certain activities. 10 Citizen participation and involvement of stakeholders in the planning process are mostly result of the initiative coming from the government and the public sector, but as well from the commercial or civil society sector. Information low Information low AUTHORITIES CITIZENS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS AUTHORITIES CITIZENS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS 26

27 Аctive partici pation Active participation occurs when decision makers recognize the interest to work together with citizens and other stakeholders on inding solutions in the planning process or in the process of implementation of public interest initiatives. Active participation methods (workshops, round tables, etc.) allow all participants to express their knowledge and experience in a creative way, and to expose their own view of the situation in search of solutions. At the same time, participants develop a sense of personal responsibility for the adopted solutions and their implementation. Final decision still belongs to authorities, but, in some cases, it may be a joint act of all stakeholders. The application of active participation methods often requires a timely and thorough informing of participants, so to enable them to give their full contribution to the matter. Those in charge of participatory process (public administration, urban planning enterprises and others) also have to possess appropriate knowledge and experience, so in most cases there is a need to engage a facilator for the conduction of more complex participation events. Feedback/ Follow-up Feedback informing is an important element of the participatory process and can be an authoritative indicator of its success. It provides participants with an insight into how their comments and suggestions were presented and included in the decision making process. Without this concluding part of participation, citizens and other stakeholders may assume that their opinions were only seemingly taken into account, which would, in most cases, produce their dissatisfaction and opposition to similar initiatives in the future. On the other hand, feedback informing builds a network of trust and mutual respect. For this reason, it is very important for the timely and regular informing to be present from the very beginning of the participatory process and especially upon the completion of each consultation and active participation activity. Information low Information low AUTHORITIES CITIZENS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS AUTHORITIES CITIZENS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS 27

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29 PARTI CIPA TION METHODS All participation methods outlined in this guide have been implemented in 7 Serbian cities and municipalities during the year 2011/2012, under the project Strengthening of local land management in Serbia. A variety of methods has been included, from informing and consultation to active participation, all of them adjusted to local conditions and needs. Next to citizens, other stakeholders were also involved in the planning process, and this can be interpreted as a gradual aligne of urban planning to market conditions. Photo: AMBERO Special novelty in Serbian practice represent the applied examples of methods of citizen participation, stakeholders involvement in the early stages of urban planning process, and the examples of participation throughout the whole process of strategic urban development planning.

30 1.1 Advertising Advertising is a method for preparation of material and its presentation through electronic and print media. This method is used to inform smaller, speciic target groups or wider citizenry. It is an efective way to quickly draw attention to a relevant project, plan or initiative. Actors. Advertising is a one-way form of communication. It is usually directed from institutions to individual groups, local residents or community representatives. Process. It begins with the identiication of a target group which needs to be informed about certain points (publication of the decision on plan elaboration or adoption, invitation to public inquiry, publication of an oicial report, etc.). The next step is to choose the communication medium. The information should be comprehensive, clear and concise. In Serbia, public notice is a requirement when it comes to planning documents the decision on plan elaboration is to be published in the oicial gazette of the local self-government unit. Resources. Depending on the nature, size and location of a target group, the purpose of advertising and the available budget, media can be chosen among newspaper, oicial gazette, radio, television, internet, etc. Information can be presented in a form of printed material, but also via broadcast announcements and ads. Resources also include time for preparation of the material, printing and advertising costs. Informing the stakeholders. Besides communicating with the public, advertising also implies the process of acquainting relevant stakeholders with decisions, events, plans and results, as well as inviting them to meetings or workshops. Letters, reports, s or information published in professional publications can be used to gather relevant stakeholders. 30

31 Photo: AMBERO Despotovac media release In the procedure of elaboration of the Detailed Regulation Plan for development of a new residential area, at the pre-draft stage of plan elaboration, on September 28th, 2012 a workshop was organized under the title Choice catalogue. This catalogue consisted of proposals for design and construction of the new residential area. Local TV station covered the opening ceremony and many of the present local oicials and professional experts were interviewed during the workshop. Kragujevac Oicial Gazette The Decision on Elaboration of Integrated Urban Development Strategy for the Inner City of Kragujevac was published in the Oicial Gazette of the City of Kragujevac, issue from September 16 th, Strengths Control over the advertisement content. It is an efective way to reach a large population or to inform a speciic target group. Information can be supported with appropriate graphics (drawings, maps, photos, etc.). Weaknesses This method is usually limited to short announcements. It does not contribute to establishing a two-way communication and it can pass unnoticed. There is a danger that advertising may be perceived as propaganda or that media misinterprets the information entrusted to them. 31

32 1.2 Newsletters Newsletters method reaches participants in the form of promotional lyers, brochures, advertisments and catalogues.the objective of newsletters is to promptly inform citizens, without taking too much of their time. It can be used at diferent stages of a plan or project, usually when a particular action has been agreed upon and it requires public involvement and dedication. Actors. On one side, there are actors who possess information public administration, responsible institutions, professionals, and on the other, there are recipients of information - target groups, stakeholders and citizens. Process. The topic of a lealet, advertisement or other promotional material is usually predetermined by the project or planned initiative. In general, the approach to the subject focuses on the interests of the local community. It is followed by the veriication of available budget, possibility of hiring experts in graphic design, preparation for printing, selecting the format and length of the text, setting timelines for the preparation, printing and distribution of printed materials. Distribution of material. There are several ways to perform distribution depending on the given framework and available budget. Various resources can be used at the same time. The material is mostly handed out in busy, public places (streets, squares, schools, etc.) but there is also a possibility to deliver it by mail, through the local newspapers or to ofer download on appropriate websites. Attractiveness. Promotional material should be concise, comprehensible and distinguishable. So, for example, it is recommended that a lealet, the cheapest and the most common form of promotion, should contain clearly marked contact information for interested citizens. 32

33 Photo: AMBERO Despotovac and Majdanpek invitations to workshops During one day, in Despotovac were handed out about 200 lealets as an invitation to the workshop Choice catalogue (September 28 th, 2012). The topic of the workshop was the design of the new residential area Resava and the goal was to collect ideas and reactions of the citizens regarding the proposed housing types, courtyard designs etc. In addition to the main information about the date, time and place of the event, some of the given options were also graphically presented on the lealet, joined by witty remarks intended to arouse public interest and induce public participation. In Majdanpek, the lealets were distributed as an invitation to the workshop under the title Rajkovo treasure hunt (October 31 st, 2012). In the workshop, citizens gave their ideas on the development of the tourist area Rajkovo, situated in the immediate vicinity of the settlement of Majdanpek. Besides the interesting workshop title, the lealet was also supposed to draw the attention of the citizens through trigger slogans: Happiness resides not only in gold there s something in Rajkovo as well!, Even the smallest idea is worth its weight in gold!. Strengths Promotional material can be used at all project stages and can include information from diferent sources. If it is regularly distributed, it helps keeping citizens attention on the process. The way the information is presented (language, format) can be directly adjusted to the target groups. Weaknesses Printed materials can be a signiicant budget item in the process, especially if a large number of copies is required. Information is limited to short announcements, so there can be a risk of misinterpretation. There is no two-way communication. 33

34 1.3 Internet advertising Internet advertising allows an easy access to information because it is not limited by place, time or user mobility. Local authorities and responsible institutions often use this method to inform citizens about decisions and future development steps of community interest. This action increases transparency of the project, plan or initiative, and provides greater social acceptance of proposed solutions. Actors. Internet advertisements are usually set up by local government or competent authority. They are directed towards the professional community, citizens, commercial sector and other stakeholders. Depending on the selection of actors in the process, Internet advertising can be public or internal. Web pages can be edited in a way that some of the information is available to everyone, while other requires user account and is available only to actors closely involved in the decision making process. Process. In order to attract public attention, internet advertising is often preceded by traditional means of public information management (promotional lyers, radio or television advertisements). Internet advertising can also serve when introducing methods of consultation or active participation. It is very useful to provide insight into the number of users who have visited the internet address where the material is presented, because it makes it possible to follow the interest and awareness of the target groups. This kind of communication can last from several weeks to several months. In Serbian practice, draft planning documents are displayed during Public inquiry in analog form, and can also be displayed in digital form on websites. Visual identity. Web pages should be well organized, clear and appealing, because the visual identity of the web page afects users experience even before they get familiar with the content. Informing key stakeholders. The use of makes it easy to communicate with important stakeholders. It is simple and free to send information, data or links (in the case of extensive documentation) to all stakeholders at the same time. 34

35 Photo: AMBERO Kraljevo web page More and more, local governments and responsible institutions use web pages as a means to inform the public and key stakeholders. Besides the prompt accessibility and the low advertising costs, the diversity of the contributions (text, graphics, video and audio advertisements) and the easier access to the media represent a notable advantage over the traditional, more expensive and limitating means of public information. An announcement about the presentation of the Plan for the Industrial Zone Sport Airield was posted on the web page of the Planning and Construction Directorate of the City of Kraljevo on January 19 th, The announcement included graphics (plans and photos) from the Pre-Draft Plan, Building Register and Pre-Draft of the Pre- Feasibility Study. Strengths The number of internet users in Serbia is increasing day by day. Information can quickly reach a large number of people which makes the Internet suitable for sending announcements but also some larger iles. Advertised information can be easily and quickly updated or corrected. Weaknesses Lots of people in Serbia still have no computer, nor Internet access. Many of them are computer illiterate. Inappropriate web design as well as too much information may have an of-putting efect on the users. 35

36 1.4 Exhibition panels Exhibition panels are used to present information with a high proportion of visual content. Besides spreading the information, they can encourage the public and stakeholders to get involved in the participatory process. They are used in addition to a number of methods of consultation and active participation workshops, contests, discussion groups, round tables, etc. Actors. Exhibitions are usually organized by representatives of local authorities in cooperation with experts (urban planners, architects, environmentalists, designers, etc.). Exhibition panels are designed for citizens and other stakeholders. Process. Panels are usually exhibited in public spaces (streets, squares, parks), public institutions (city halls, cultural centers, galleries, libraries) and other frequent public places. Preparatory activities include design and printing of posters, as well as an agreement with the competent authorities on the exhibition space. It is preferable to inform the general public about the exhibition by media, sending s or distributing printed promotional materials. Interactive panels. Exhibition panels can be interactive if the visitors are allowed to be engaged in a dialogue with decision makers by adding comments or performing modiications to pre-prepared items. Contributions range from blank paper with simple questions to complex drawings, maps and models. A well-organized process looks like a game and can be pleasant for the participants. Resources. The main exhibition material includes text and drawings. In case of interactive panels it also includes maps, models, writing and marking tools, etc. The panels should be set up in places where they can easily attract the attention of relevant target groups. 36

37 Photo: AMBERO Užice inal presentation After the completion of the Integrated Urban Development Strategy for the Inner City of Užice, a multi-hour presentation under the title Final conference was organized in Užice in July, The exhibition of posters (thematic maps, diagrams, children s drawings) with presented steps in the process of the Strategy elaboration analysis of existing preconditions and citizen survey, SWOT analysis (the situation analysis evaluating strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats), development goals and ideas for key projects was organized as an introduction to the outline of the process and its results. The presentation was covered by local media TV and radio. Strengths This method can be used at diferent plan/ project stages. It represents an efective way of advertising information. It is economically rational to present information on posters, rather than printing them in a large number of copies. Weaknesses Preparation of materials requires time, efort and resources. If it is used only to present information, citizens may get the impression that all the important decisions have already been made. 37

38 1.5 Conference A conference is a formal and in most cases an open meeting summoned in order to allow the representatives of public administration and relevant institutions to approach stakeholders and citizens. It is often used to announce the information about the process that has a signiicant impact on local community. A conference is suitable at the very beginning, or at the further stages of the planning process for the purpose of assessment, but also in order to inform the public about the most important issues, consequences and possibilities, and thus gain support for the planned activities. Actors. The conference participants are interested community members and stakeholders. Participation of the media is also very important. Process. In urban planning, the conference is mostly used to announce the beginning of the process or at the very end of the process for the purpose of public presentation of the results. The way of presenting the information should be carefully considered in order to encourage a dialogue with a local community, which is important for the next steps of the process. The conference should be media covered in order to reach those who haven t attented. Press conference. Press conference is assembled for representatives of public authorities and relevant institutions in charge of the process enabling them to directly address the citizens by media. The purpose is to announce a process or an initiative that can have a signiicant impact on a local community. Gathering journalists and the media in one place saves time and resources. The conference itself highlights events that have not previously attracted the attention of the local community. Conference broadcast. YouTube, one of the popular online services for sharing videos, can be used for conference broadcasts and video press releases. Setting the video content is free with the necessary registration. This way of presentation can be performed with considerably modest costs compared to advertising through traditional media sources, and at the same time it increases the media coverage (and the awareness of a local community). 38

39 Photo: AMBERO The Conference in Smederevo The Feasibility Study for the development of a marina in Smederevo was done in the run-up to the elaboration of the Detailed Regulation Plan. It was presented at the conference organized in Smederevo in December The conference was attended by about 130 participants. The Study also suggested possible sources for inancing and investing in the construction and design of the marina. After the elections and subsequent changes in the local administration, another conference was held in Smederevo in August In addition to politicians, representatives of the public administration and public enterprises, the conference was also attended by local investors. The conference was used for the presentation of achieved results and announcement of new activities. Strengths If managed well, a conference can produce a favorable public response. It is usually an open and transparent process that encourages trust of the local community. It is possible to achieve greater control over the low of information, and therefore, to increase their quality. Weaknesses The organization of a conference can be expensive. 39

40 1.6 Info point Info points are temporary places where citizens can access information on a particular project or initiative. They are used if the project has a local character and there is a need for the frequent low of information towards the public e.g. when the project causes concern among citizens or when a rapid development is expected. Actors. Info points are usually set-up by the local government. They engage their own employees, experts from diferent ields and volunteers to share information and communicate with the citizens. Process. An info point can work for one or more days, depending on the needs and goals of actors, or it can be set-up at the key stages of a project. An info point can be organized indoors or outdoors, using space which easily attracts the target group s attention. It is particularly recommended that it be organized in a busy, public area (main street, shopping center, pedestrian zones, etc.). A striking shop front display should be used if the event is organized indoors. Info points should present graphic and text materials. It is also recommendable for every info point to share printouts on the project. Info points are meant to represent stopovers for interested citizens. They can stop by whenever it suits them, collect information, have a look at the presented material, and ask questions. If organized indoors, info points are often used for meetings and workshops with citizens. Resources. Basic resources are printed promotional materials (lyers, brochures, maps, catalogues, publications etc.), the staf to hand it out and the space to set the info point up. Street info points are placed in open public spaces. They can have a form of a tent or a prefabricated pavilion or something similar... They are more accessible and usually attract a more diverse group than closed space info points. When setting up a street stand, it is often necessary to obtain an oicial approval to use that space, engage experienced facilitators and take account of the weather. 40

41 Photo: AMBERO A street stand in Despotovac A street stand was set up in Despotovac for one day (September 27 th, 2012), where the citizens had the opportunity to obtain information about the steps already taken, as well as about the future steps in the elaboration of the plan for the new residential area Resava. The same place was also used as a distribution point for lyers and brochures announcing the workshop Choice catalogue. The information point was set up in the centre of the settlement, next to the main park, managing to draw the attention of a large number of citizens about 200 lyers were handed out in one day. Strengths Info points increase the transparency of a project or an initiative, and interested actors can obtain information at the time that suits them. This kind of communication gives the impression of an administration commitment to the interests of the local community. Weaknesses Info points have mainly a localized efect since they are available only to the interested passers-by. If they are open during regular working hours (9-17h), they are unavailable to most employed citizens. 41

42 2.1 Discussion group A discussion group represents a closed meeting organized in order to collect information, comments and observations from diferent stakeholders on a given topic. It provides a valuable insight into reactions to certain questions or suggestions, and is often used to verify key decisions prior to implementation. Actors. The organizer of the event is usually the local administration, and the participants are important stakeholders - oicials, experts, representatives of relevant institutions, community groups and business sector professionals. Groups are usually small (6-12 participants) and require the presence of a facilitator. Process. Stakeholders are invited to a meeting and introduced to the agenda and key points for discussion (up to 5-6). If the issue is complex or unknown to the participants, the appropriate information materials need to be distributed prior to the meeting. During the meeting, the facilitator guides and monitors the event. The emphasis is on collecting diferent viewpoints through a discussion. A desirable outcome of the workshop is devoted to establishing common ground on the issues, but also to identifying conlicting views among the participants. A meeting of a discussion group usually lasts from 1 to 2 hours, after which, based on the recorded minutes, the report is prepared and distributed to all participants. Meetings are usually organized continuously over a period of several days or months. Resources. Although discussion group meetings are relatively brief, it is important to devote it enough time so as to ix a date that suits all participants, prepare for the discussion, correspond with stakeholders and provide adequate space. Audio and video consultations. These can signiicantly increase the eiciency of the discussion group method. They are based on technology that enables people to connect with each other using the internet (with the help of programs such as Skype) or phone, and participate in a group discussion. In case of a phone conference, it is necessary to use the additional telecommunication services. Video and audio conferences save the time and resources necessary for the organization of meetings and the travel costs of the participants. 42

43 Photo: AMBERO Kladovo through discussion to determination of land use Before the very elaboration of the Detailed Regulation Plan for the settlement Jugovo, the instrument of urban design was used to examine restrictions of the location and future land uses, capacities and building development types. During the year 2011, municipality administration organized several meetings which were attended by representatives of the administration and public enterprises (economy development, tourism, urban planning, environmental protection, port authorities, power distribution, etc.), as well as representatives of the planning comission. After presentations on diferent technical topics, the participants discussed the possibilities of new building developments in Kladovo, which were considered rationally, also under the aspect of sustainable development in the Danube region. Strengths This method contributes to knowledge collection, and the confrontation of experts opinions leads to formulating new solutions. The groups are small and the atmosphere is more relaxed, which allows close and easy communication between the participants. A discussion contributes to a better mutual understanding and cooperation between the actors. Weaknesses The organization and facilitation of meetings requires a considerable amount of time. There is a risk that the group is dominated by strong individuals, the selection of participants may be inadequate and the results insuiciently representative. 43

44 2.2 Survey A questionnaire is used to analyze the participants and other stakeholders opinion on subjects important for the local development. A larger number of participants ills in such forms by answering the questions or giving their opinion on the subjects, and their responses are analyzed and processed into quantitative and qualitative information. This information helps decision makers to meet the citizens needs in the most appropriate way, to set the priorities and to steer development in a desired direction. Actors. Decision makers, relevant institutions or local administration prepare the questionnaire. Citizens or particular groups of stakeholders (experts, representatives of the commercial sector, etc.) have to ill them in. Process. The method can be applied in several ways: live interviews, illing out questionnaires in written form, interviewing by telephone or via Internet (more detailed explanation of the latter under Web consultations). All of these methods provide quantitative (facts, statistics) and qualitative information (opinions and evaluations). The irst step is to carry out the selection of participants and methods in order to determine a representative sample. Since it is essential to determine if the representative sample is relevant, it is advisable to contact the organizations dealing with social statistics. A pilot questionnaire should be examined on a smaller sample and corrected if necessary. After the survey, the results are collected and analyzed, and, as a rule, the feedback information/ conclusions are provided to citizens and other stakeholders. This kind of two-way information low represents evidence that justiies further steps in the planning process and contributes to the process by building trust between decision makers and local communities. The whole survey process can also be assigned to a professional organization dealing with this kind of research. Form. The preparation of a questionnaire requires knowledge, time, experience and understanding of development issues and planning process. The way questions are presented always varies according to the respondents. When the questionnaire is available to the general public, the questions should be clear and appropriate, but also customized to suit the interests of the citizens involved. 44

45 Photo: AMBERO Kragujevac through survey to problem determination As a contribution to the analysis of preconditions, in the irst step of the elaboration of the Integrated Urban Development Strategy for the Inner City of Kragujevac, a citizen questionnaire was prepared in order to identify priority problems and collect ideas, suggestions and guidelines for enhancing the urban development of the inner city of Kragujevac. In order to conduct the citizen survey in a more eicient way, the whole action was organized on a weekend in August Altogether one thousand inner city residents took part in the survey. Strengths Questionnaire can be used when the aim is to gather information from a large group of citizens. It allows the comparative analysis of diferent opinions and in diferent time frames. It also provides access to a number of qualitative and quantitative information which can be useful for further work. Weaknesses Survey methods are not always or fully applicable for example, when there is a high degree of illiteracy (with the exception of an oral interview). The preparation of a questionnaire and analysis of results require a lot of experience, knowledge, time and resources, which has a signiicant efect on the timeframe of the process. It can be expensive to engage a professional organization to carry out the survey. 45

46 2.3 Internet consultations Web consultations use the internet to collect opinions of a target group on a particular topic. It is a simple, dynamic and low-cost process that enables user survey and establishes contact with key stakeholders not able to physically participate in the process. Actors. The internet consultation method allows access to a wide range of actors stakeholders, experts, citizens, etc. Process. The procedure can be organized in several ways, depending on the selection of a target group, desired degree of openness and the purpose of the consultation process. The simplest form to conduct internet consultations is to publish certain material on a website. Actors should be able to submit comments which are subsequently reviewed and sent for feedback to all involved. Another way to organize the process is to prepare an online survey/questionnaire. Survey questions have to be carefully formulated so as to allow an examinee to give speciic answers or to select one of the answers. The data obtained in this way can be analyzed while consultations are still in progress. Web consultations can also be arranged in the form of internet discussion groups, where participants access virtual space or chat rooms and discuss a particular topic. Blog. Blog is a discussion or informational site with the possibility of anonymous posting. Although it is not exclusively required, most of the high quality blogs are interactive, leaving the possibility to users to post comments and even message each other. 46

47 Photo: AMBERO Kragujevac written consultations via internet Supporting the public inquiry process of the Integrated Urban Development Strategy for the Inner City of Kragujevac, in August 2012 an electronic form for submitting written comments was posted on the oicial webpage of the city with the possibility to download graphics and the text of the document. It eased the access to the information for all interested parties, but also opened an additional opportunity for them to give comments and suggestions. It was a new way to conduct consultations aiming at promotion of participation and transparency, which had not been used in practice up to that moment, so the number of respondents was small. Strengths It s a two-way form of communication. Participants have the opportunity to present their opinions, comments, complaints and suggestions. The method is easy to perform, and the data analysis is simpler compared to a live process. It is easy to contact immobile participants or people who have no time or resource to get to the participation venue. Weaknesses Not everyone has access to the Internet and the results are representative only for certain social groups, because the general public is not included. 47

48 2.4 Choice catalogue A choice catalogue is a communication method that enables interest groups to choose among the number of pre-prepared options. This method aims to help participants to fully understand the planned spatial interventions and harmonize their desires and needs with solutions that can be implemented. Actors. Communication process is carried out through a catalogue that gathers participants from various groups. Those are people who are initiating the project (the commercial sector, national or local government), the ones who are responsible for the implementation (urban planners, architects, engineers) and potential users (citizens, customers, consumers, etc.). Process. A choice catalogue is both the result and the means of consultations. It is usually based on the data obtained through citizen surveys or by interviewing people. There are diferent types of catalogues. Some are aimed at reviewing preferences and needs of the target groups, contain suggestions and examples, but there are others that include inished products or services. Distribution, collection and processing of the results obtained can take up to several days. It can be supplemented by the parallel conduction of other participation methods organizing workshops and exhibitions or distributing printed promotional material. Resources. Materials used to make choice catalogues are brochures or posters with graphic elements containing key information. The catalogues describe options and background information among which citizens can decide. They can have a form of a questionnaire where participants mark the most desirable solution. Workshops and exhibitions usually require the presence of a facilitator, which encourages citizens to participate and eases the interpretation of the displayed information. The costs for preparation and printing of choice catalogues depend on the size of the target group/s and the scope of consultations. If the catalogues are combined with other methods of informing and consulting (ex. Internet consultations), space and facilitators are not required, but the information must be clear and understandable to the widest audience. 48

49 Photo: AMBERO Despotovac citizens choosing the design of a new residential area During the preparation of the Draft Detailed Regulation Plan for a new residential area in Despotovac, citizens had the opportunity to choose between diferent options ofered for housing types, facades, fences, courtyard designs and public spaces. About 60 interested citizens took part in a workshop organized at the local cultural centre on September 28 th, The results obtained and the choices made by the participants were incorporated in construction and design guidelines and were also taken as a basis of the Manual for future investors containing construction and design guidelines. Strengths Variety of solutions and the possibility of choice. The sense of responsibility for the outcome of the project develops among the participants, which leads to better acceptance of applied solutions. At the same time, the process reduces the inancial risk for the investor. Weaknesses Results may not be representative, which is usually afected by a poor response or lack of participant diversity. 49

50 2.5 Public inquiry A public inquiry is the formal participation procedure within the existing planning practice, and it takes place at the draft stage i.e. in conclusion of the planning process. It allows all interested parties to contact responsible institutions of local self-government units, and submit comments and suggestions on the plan laid out to the public during the public inquiry process. This action provides transparency and legitimacy of the process, eliminates potential conlicts and thus afects the quality of the plan or urban design project. Actors. A public inquiry is mainly attended by the citizens directly afected by planned interventions. Representatives of the responsible institution of the local self-government unit are obliged to provide the necessary information and professional help to all interested parties. Process. According to the current Law on Planning and Construction, a public inquiry into the draft plan lasts 30 days. A local daily newspaper publishes the public inquiry notice, announcing the start of the public inquiry with the information on the organization of the process the time and place of the event where citizens can get insight into the draft plan and submit their written objections. Within 5 days after the public inquiry is completed, all written objections are forwarded to the planning oice contracted with the plan preparation, where the objections are processed and thereafter forwarded to the planning commission. The submitter has a right to publicly substantiate his objection at the session of the planning commission. After this session, members of the planning commission make their decision on each iled objection, which can be accepted, not accepted, partially accepted or declared as unfounded, and ile it in the public inquiry report. Practice. A public inquiry is often the only form of public participation in the planning process in Serbia. During this event, it is possible to organize at least one public presentation of the draft plan - which is legally binding for spatial plans of local self-government units, but not for urban plans, where the decision on the organisation of a public presentation is based on the assessment of the situation. In addition to public presentations, although it is not strictly required by law, many local authorities use a feedback method in order to respond to citizens written objections. 50

51 Photo: AMBERO Kraljevo a public inquiry into the General Regulation Plan In October 2012, the oicial web presentation of the City of Kraljevo announced a public inquiry into the Draft General Regulation Plan Industrial zone Sport Airield. The public inquiry of 30 days duration followed after the professional revision by the Planning Commission of the City Assembly of Kraljevo. The draft plan was meanwhile on public display at the City Hall of Kraljevo. A public session of the planning commission was held after the conclusion of the public inquiry, on November 20th, The submitted objections were discussed at the session and it resulted in the public inquiry report, comprising all submitted objections and adopted decisions, which was subsequently forwarded to all responsible institutions for further implementation the correction of the plan and subsequent initiation of the adoption procedure. Strengths A public inquiry and public presentation represent an opportunity for citizens and experts to observe, analyze and understand the changes intended in the area where they live and work, and how they can afect them. During the planning commission session, citizens have the freedom to express their opinion regarding the objections they submitted to the representatives of local authorities, planning commission, planning oice contracted with the plan preparation, media, etc. Weaknesses A public inquiry and public presentation are used mainly in order to meet the statutory obligations. They are conducted at the very end of the planning process, when a draft plan has already been completed and people have little real inluence on the changes. It happens in practice that only a very small number of citizens show their interest in the public inquiry procedure (lack of interest and information), and as a result of that, they often remain excluded from the possibility to participate in decision making. 51

52 3.1 Workshop A workshop is a closed meeting which brings together small groups of stakeholders around a predeined task or problem. It is used in diferent stages of the planning process, as it may indicate possible conlicts, and set directions for future work. A workshop has visible results which are obtained through contribution of all participants. Actors. A workshop is limited to a small number of invited participants (up to 30). It can be organized by public or local administration, but also by other interested stakeholders. Participants are representatives of selected local community members oicials, competent professionals, representatives of diferent associations and commercial sector, etc. Workshop also requires presence of a facilitator whose role is to steer the process and facilitate the work of the participants. Process. A workshop can be organized as an all-day event, but also as a series of multi-hour sessions over a period of several days. Preparatory activities include: setting up a workshop arrangement with interested stakeholders, engaging a facilitator, making a list of participants, the preparation of the workshop agenda and materials with discussion topics, sending invitations and materials to all actors. A workshop has a clearly deined structure consisting of a mixture of presentations and open discussions. Displaying it in chronological order, the workshop begins with the presentation of the workshop goals, after which the participants are given the opportunity to get acquainted with a certain speciic plan or project and, subsequently, to express their opinion and comments on the presented subject. At the end comes the stage of assessment and determination of priorities followed by the reporting on further actions. In case of a large number of participants, they can be divided into smaller groups (in the ideal case up to 8 participants in a group), whose members work together and discuss the assigned tasks. After the work in groups is inished, the results and conclusions of all working groups are presented to the plenary. The report, prepared after the workshop, is subsequently forwarded to all participants as a basis for future steps. Resources. Space, facilitators and working material writing, recording and presentation material (graphics and text, slide presentations, exhibition panels, etc.). 52

53 Photo: AMBERO Kragujevac workshop with stakeholders During the elaboration of the Integrated Urban Development Strategy for the Inner City of Kragujevac, after the completion of the irst steps on the preparation of the preconditions analysis and problem deinition, a workshop presenting the preliminary results of SWOT analysis was organized in the City Hall of Kragujevac on October 6 th, Work in topic groups (urban structures, tourism, traic, environment, etc.) provided additional insights and possibilities veriication of SWOT analysis and irst ideas on priority intervention zones in the city centre. Strengths It produces visible results. The event gathers wide spectrum of knowledge and experience, therefore innovative solutions come up. Teamwork contributes to mutual understanding of the participants while identifying common interests and individual responsibilities. The application of the method demonstrates the openness of decision makers to comments and suggestions of stakeholders. Weaknesses Workshop groups include a relatively small number of stakeholders. It requires a lot of time to prepare a workshop, there is a need for experienced facilitators and the participants should be willing to respect the agenda of the workshop. 53

54 3.2 Design workshop A design workshop is engaged with design of physical spaces streets, neighborhoods, settlements, public spaces and other urban entities. A design workshop is a working meeting where experts and/or citizens work together in small groups, exchange information and experience and create innovative solutions together. It is usually organized with a purpose to consider complex issues. Actors. The workshop involves experts (architects, urban planners, engineers), representatives of various interest groups (public administration, commercial sector, organizations) and citizens. Each group requires a facilitator and persons responsible for marking suggestions and potential solutions on the map or model. The workshop actors have been selected in advance. Process. A design workshop can last for one or more days. Prior to the workshop, it is important to contact all the participants and provide the agenda and objectives of the planned activities. Actors are being placed into groups and arranged around the table with maps or models. The size of the groups is not speciied, but in order to ensure openness and active representation of all parties, the optimal number of actors should be from 8 to 10. Participants are encouraged to develop their ideas by drawing on the map or making changes to the model. Diferent groups can work on diferent maps (i.e. diferent parts of the site) or the same map, but in a diferent scale. When working in groups is inished, individually elaborated proposals are presented to all participants for further harmonization of ideas and comments. Resources. For the proper application of the method it is necessary to provide work space, engage facilitators and obtain the necessary material in the irst place, a map (orthophoto) of the site, where the proposed spatial solutions should take place, as well as drawing accessories. 54

55 Photo: AMBERO Design workshop in Užice During the elaboration of the Integrated Urban Development Strategy for the Inner City of Užice, after the veriication of SWOT analysis and the completed citizen survey, the needs and priority interventions were deined. The design workshop was organized at the Regional development agency in October More than 20 representatives of local administration, public enterprises (tourism, urban planning, culture, traic, etc.), NGO sector and citizen associations joined the workshop. Participants were divided into ive topic groups. Each topic group received pre-prepared graphic material (map) for noting and drawing their suggestions and ideas for the improvement of space and services quality. At the end of the workshop, the results of each topic group were presented to all participants. Strengths Encourages creative thinking and contributes to building partnerships among participants. The method uses a wide range of knowledge and skills, and quality solutions are delivered in a short period of time. Another good thing is that the method can be used in initial planning stages. Weaknesses High level of expertise or experience in a speciic topic or issue is often necessary. This method is not suitable for work with a large number of people. It can also happen that typical and relevant stakeholders representatives do not participate in the workshop. 55

56 3.3 World café World café is a creative process in which a large group of stakeholder representatives exchange knowledge, experiences and ideas. The method is also called collaborative learning. It develops a sense of trust between diferent stakeholders who jointly analyze and assess the impacts of important interventions, explore options and shape ideas for further development of a certain project or plan. Actors. World café includes a wide range of stakeholders citizens, professionals, entrepreneurs, government representatives, and so on. This method is applied when working with larger groups (from 10 to several hundred participants) and requires the presence of facilitators whose task is to steer the process and help participants express their views. Process. World café is open for all, but particularly invited are the representatives of those stakeholder groups whose presence at the meeting may be of signiicant interest. The project, plan or initiative in question is presented in topic groups. Basic information on each topic is presented at the posters or panels, with accompanying tables and writing materials (paper, pencils, and stickers). The facilitator of each thematic group is the host of the table and his role is to introduce participants into the topic and encourage them to write their ideas, comments and suggestions. Groups are small and participants take turns in a given time interval. They visit the thematic points, gradually introducing themselves with all the topics, expressing their opinion along the way. At the end of the process, the facilitators in a plenary session present the conclusions of the topic groups and highlight the best solutions and recommendations that can be implemented in the next steps of the process. One such event usually lasts from three to four hours. Ambience. For the successful application of this method, it is essential to create a suitable environment to resemble the atmosphere of a café. Such an atmosphere encourages a relaxed and open discussion among the actors. The choice of topics. Besides the ambience, the titles of the topics and selection of the questions which will be presented to participants (oral, written or poster presentations), are also of great importance for the success of the event. If participants do not ind the questions interesting or important, there is a high possibility that the event will not achieve its objective. 56

57 Photo: AMBERO Užice veriication of strategic goals and project proposals During the elaboration of the Integrated Urban Development Strategy for the Inner City of Užice, an all-day public event was organized at the Užice Theatre in December More than 100 representatives of the local administration, public enterprises, diferent institutions, as well as citizens and kids joined the event. The participants had the chance to visit diferent thematic points according to their interests and with no time restrictions. Their task was to propose new ideas for projects, and the facilitators helped them to check their compatibility with sector strategic goals. The process sparked a lively discussion between the citizens who spontaneously started to discuss and write down their ideas and proposals and hang them up on exhibited posters. After the work in topic groups was inished, all posters with proposals were presented to the plenum. All participants had the opportunity to vote for project proposals of their choice, which were later incorporated into the document. Strengths A creative, informal process that contributes to the development of new ideas and gathers a large number of participants. Conversations increase their quality as a result of a persistent low and exchange of new ideas and knowledge. Weaknesses The method requires thoughtful and well-deined questions that will encourage participants to engage in a coherent dialogue. World Café is not suitable when the aim is to reach deinite decisions, detailed arguments or a simple agreement on previously proposed solutions. 57

58 3.4 Visioning This method brings various stakeholders together to jointly shape the vision of a desirable future. Visioning is used for deining development goals and their veriication, but also to predict the consequences of certain decisions and plans implementation. A well-thought-out vision can provide important elements of a long-term development framework of a local community. Actors. Everybody can participate in visioning, without restrictions. Actors incorporate their views and values into the vision, which is then transformed into a set of achievable goals, and accordingly into strategic and operational documents. A facilitator must be present when deining a vision. His task is to enable all participants to express their vision of the future, as well as to gradually direct the process towards a common solution. Process. Actors with similar ideas, aspirations and desires are organized to sit together so that they can discuss, comment and jointly shape the goals and directions of development (social, physical, economic, etc...). Each group presents their idea of future to other participants. These proposals are characterized by general, binding elements, as well as diferences that may be a source of disagreement in further discussion. Respect for diferent opinions and interests, free low of ideas and game of associations lead to formulation of a high-value, jointly agreed vision. Discussion is a basic tool for vision formulation. It allows participants to express their vision of future in their own words, simply and freely. Resources. Besides discussion, other tools are also used graphic and written expression (sketches, drawings, photographs, plans and maps, statements, etc.) as an illustration of the current situation and the proposed changes, or as a help for those participants who have diiculty expressing their views. It is desirable to provide enough facilitators for each group, but there can also be only one working with all groups. In terms of material, there should be a lip chart, paper, pens, and for the inal version of visioning process, it is possible to use a computer, projector and screen. 58

59 Photo: AMBERO Užice 2030 Vision: a free-spirited city, culturally revived, the center of the region, accessible to all, comfortable, made-to-measure, high quality of life achieved Slogan: Užice an awesome city Visioning was performed within the process of elaboration of the Integrated Urban Development Strategy for the Inner City of Užice, in the workshop organized at the Užice Theatre on December 1st, Participation of a large number of diferent stakeholders (more than 100 representatives of the local administration, public enterprises, diferent institutions, as well as citizens and kids) contributed to the achieved quality of a jointly formulated vision and promoted the process of strategy elaboration itself. Inspired by the children s drawings, the adults presented their vision of the inner city s future. Exhibition panels were used for drawing and noting down visioning ideas. Exhibition of all panels and plenary discussion guided by the facilitator led to the joint formulation of the vision and the strategy slogan. Strengths Visioning method is suitable for a wide range of stakeholder involvement in the planning process. It has the power to provoke various development initiatives and make decision making process clear and understandable. A large number of participants ensures idea diversity. Weaknesses On the other hand, a large number of participants and the diversity of ideas make it diicult to ind a compromise solution or agreement on the inal formulation of the vision. If the process has not provided an opportunity for everyone to express their views, there is a possibility that stronger or more eloquent actors impose their ideas on others. 59

60 3.5 Ideas competition Ideas competition is a good way to encourage creative thinking and popularize a certain initiative or process. It is eligible for professionals, but also for all interested citizens who wish to contribute to the process with their suggestions. The competition is usually held at the beginning of a project or when there is a signiicant disagreement about the suggested solution. A call for an urban planning-architectural design competition dealing with the design of areas which are of interest to local self-governments is envisaged by regulation. Actors. The organizer is usually the local administration or one of its institutions. Actors are people of all ages and professions or experts with a relevant professional background. The jury is assembled from professionals and representatives of relevant institutions, but also citizens, oicials, investors, etc. Process. The procedure of urban planning-architectural design competitions, which can be open, limited or invited, ideas or project competitions, one-stage or two-stage competitions, is regulated by a by-law. When collecting ideas from the wider audience, the organizers have to plan the event and bring partners and sponsors together. They deine tasks and issues, the criteria for participation and evaluation, types of awards, etc. Diferent categories can be established, for example students, general public and school children. After that, the competition is advertised together with information regarding deadlines, delivery points and allowed/recommended formats and methods to be used.the contributions are evaluated by the jury appointed by the organizers, but they can also be rated by the public. After that comes the winner announcement and media covered ceremony with the exhibition. At the end of the process, the report with competition results is prepared and there is a possibility to prepare a publication. Resources. Major expenses include: advertising costs, compensation for staf (jury and facilitators at the show), providing appropriate rewards and exhibition space. Drawing competition. This method is designed for participants of all ages, and is especially useful for children and young people. The purpose is to collect detailed graphic information on the existing or ideal (imaginary) surrounding of the target groups. Obtained drawings are valuable exhibit material and often relect the views of the local community. They also help adult participants to release their creativity. 60

61 Photo: AMBERO How children see the future of their city Drawing competition in Kragujevac A drawing competition under the title My city in the future was organized within the elaboration of the Integrated Urban Development Strategy for the Inner City of Kragujevac. The children from the local primary schools joined the competition as the authors of the drawings which were made in their regular art classes. The exhibition and the selection of best drawings by public choice took place at the City Hall on November 30th, 2011, where a diploma and a book prize were awarded to the authors of the top three chosen drawings. The exhibition of the children s drawings was used as a source of inspiration for the joint visioning of the city s future. Strengths Through the competition, a project or initiative becomes open to the public, and it also represents an efective way to gather ideas. The event attracts the attention of the media. The method is especially useful when working with children and young people. Weaknesses The organization of competitions can be long and demanding. The awarded works may not get the approval of the local community. In situations where the participants are school children and laymen, it often occurs that not all aspects of the task are covered. 61

62 3.6 Round table A round-table discussion allows various stakeholders to discuss problems on equal terms and reach a solution through mutual agreement. Diferent opinions are confronted in search of an agreement that will satisfy all participants. The method is used when the implementation of plans or projects requires cooperation of the public, commercial and civil sector. Actors. round-table discussion is usually organized by the local administration or its institutions. Besides its representatives, the meeting is also attended by the representatives of the commercial sector, experts and citizens depending on the topic. All participants have equal status and are allowed to discuss the subject openly and honestly. Since there is not supposed to be the chairman of the round table, the presence of a facilitator aims to achieve a pleasant working and discussion environment, to establish and maintain order in communication, and to hold discussion within the range of the topic of the meeting and facilitate decision making process. In addition to a facilitator who steers the round-table discussions, other experts can also join the event by presenting the discussion subject. If necessary, another facilitator can attend the discussion, record the comments, present them, and prepare meeting notes. Process. A round-table discussion can last a few hours, but it is also possible to organize a series of meetings within a couple of days. It is a closed meeting, with a limited number of participants. A round-table discussion can have the subject that refers to one or more aspects of a plan, strategy or project. At the beginning of the discussion, the facilitator explains the purpose of the gathering, followed by: a presentation, which summarizes the project context, the discussion on the topic, comments and suggestions, and a brief closing with the presentation of the discussion conclusion. The results of the discussion are presented in a report available to all participants of the round-table discussion (in printed or electronic form). Openness. A round-table discussion is a method that aims to confront various aspects of the problem, not the actors. The name itself suggests an equal participation of all parties in the conversation, and that requires responsibility and mutual respect among the participants. 62

63 Photo: Фото: АМБЕРО AMBERO Round-table discussion for veriication of the assessment scope The elaboration process of the Detailed Regulation Plan and Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment for the new residential area Resava in Despotovac included the procedure of obtaining the necessary planning requirements from responsible public institutions and enterprises, but it also included the organization of a round-table discussion. This expert meeting was used for the discussion aiming at veriication of the scope of the environmental impact assessment. The meeting was attended by the representatives of the local administration, public enterprises, planning oice and organization contracted with plan and SEIA report elaboration. The participants discussed and harmonized diferent planning requirements and came to a mutual agreement on technical solutions. This led to an additional shortening of the planning requirements harmonization within the process of elaboration of a planning document, as well as to the possibility for direct consideration of possible conlicting environmental impacts and measures to overcome them. Strengths This method is based on a wide spectrum of opinions. It involves actors from diferent areas, which provides high quality and creative exchange of knowledge and experience. A round-table discussion also links sectors and interest groups that previously did not have a chance to cooperate. Weaknesses There is a risk that the discussion is dominated by one issue or aspect, while other important issues and problems remain unaddressed. It is necessary that the facilitators professional background is related to the round-table topics, in order to be able to recognize high-quality comments and conclusions from a variety of diferent opinions. 63

64 3.7 Speak out Speak out is realized as a combination of a public gathering and exhibition event. Participants attend the event, ind topics of their interest and speak out on the issues related to the development of the area where they live. This method is applicable at all stages of the planning process and it is efective when addressing issues of local concern (the development of commercial facilities, recreation, transport, urban safety, etc). Actors. Participants are all interested citizens and stakeholders, representatives of the local community, experts and others. It mostly involves random passers-by attracted by curiosity. The event is often organized in a way that allows children to participate for example in a drawing competition, and the design of the future city. Process. This method can be implemented in many ways, and the events can be combined in one or more days. Citizens have the opportunity to be at the spotlight and explain their opinion on the topic or topics. In fact, the speak out represents a sort of debate in which participants cooperate with facilitators, ask questions, get answers, share their problems and desires, as well as their vision of the community development. While waiting in line to speak out, participants are asked to write down or sketch their ideas, which are than posted on lipcharts as a part of the exhibition material. The facilitator plays a small but important role in this process. The event is video or audio recorded in order to allow the preparation for the next steps of the planning process. Cost estimate Time spent Preparation Organization Monitoring 3 working days of LSGU* employees 5 working days of experts 2 working days of LSGU* employees 5 working days of professional facilitators 2 working days of LSGU* employees 2 working days of experts Costs Manpower (650 ) Material costs (300 ) Manpower (600 ) Material costs (470 ) Manpower (300 ) 64 Human resources * - Local self-government unit 2 LSGU employees 1 participation expert 3 professional staf members 1 urban planner 2 LSGU employees 2 facilitation experts 3 professional staf members 1 urban planner 2 LSGU employees 1 participation expert 1 professional staf member

65 Photo: AMBERO The hidden treasure of Rajkovo in Majdanpek A speak out workshop under the title The hidden treasure of Rajkovo was organized as an integral part of the elaboration of the Detailed Regulation Plan for the tourist area Rajkovo on October, 31 st, 2012 at the Majdanpek cultural centre. The purpose of the workshop was to inform citizens about the ideas on the development of the spatial entitity Rajkovo (located not far away from the town), as well as to give them an opportunity to publicly share their opinions and suggestions through active involvement. Urban planners and citizens used interactive panels to jointly work on topics such as the identity of the area of Rajkovo, space utilization, development of sport and recreation potentials, activities for young people, touristicly attractive spaces and events. The workshop suggestions were integrated into the Draft Plan. Strengths A Speak out is useful when there is a need to resolve conlicting opinions at early stages of a planning process, as well as when the discussion on a particular topic should lead to mutual understanding between the actors. This method has an educational character and provides the ability to recognize diferent needs, opinions and desires of the actors, which builds cooperation networks and a sense of belonging to a community. Weaknesses This method is very demanding in terms of preparation and management of the process, especially when there are conlicted groups of participants. It requires substantial inancial resources (see the Cost estimate table). 65

66 4.0 Feedback and follow-up Feedback information allows citizens and other stakeholders an insight into the way their views and suggestions are presented and included in the decision making process. The feedback method can occur once (at the inal stage) or a couple of times during the participatory process when it is important to inform participants about current events or results related to a speciic project or plan. 4.1 Reporting. A report is a concise, formal document including the description and conclusions of the step made in a process. It allows citizens and other stakeholders to follow how their comments are included in the decision making process. It is usually sent after the session of the planning commission, or with the invitation for the submission of written comments. A report can be in electronic or paper form, but should not be longer than a few pages. Sent material should also include contact information (name, address, phone number, ) if the recipients want to send a request or a comment. 4.2 Submission of written comments. This method allows interested groups to prepare detailed comments on the proposed solutions and decisions. In this way decision makers gain insight into the attitudes, interests and priorities of the local community. It can be used at the initial stages of plan and policy document elaboration, or as a means to verify the appropriateness of a proposed solution. In Serbia, the submission of written comments on the draft plan takes place during the public inquiry. Received comments are reviewed by members of the institution in charge of the participation process, or, in question of a planning document, by members of the planning commission. After the consideration of the received comments comes the preparation of a report. The report generates all the comments and suggestions. Written comments can be anonymous (this rule does not apply to the submission of written complaints in the public inquiry), but it is desirable to have contact information (phone number or addresses) to which decision makers can refer the answers, explanations, and current information. 4.3 Presentation. It refers to the presentation of project and planning proposals to a selected local community stakeholder group. Presentations are used when planned activities have a particular impact on certain groups of the community, so there is a need to arouse their particular interest, to inform them or obtain their consent for a particular initiative. 66

67 Photo: AMBERO A public presentation of the draft plan during the public inquiry process is regulated by law (see also 2.5 Public inquiry). Presentations are usually held by representatives of the planning oices contracted with the plan elaboration, or expert lecturers engaged for that special occasion. The audience may be large, sometimes over a hundred people. 4.4 Publication of results. The publication of results of citizen surveys, a conducted public inquiry into the draft plan and the decision on the submitted written complaints, consultations (or any other participation method) considerably contributes to the transparency of the decision making process, at the same time providing the legitimacy of the planning process itself. Feedback methods can be distributed in a form of printed materials, posters (billboards) or by Internet feedback. The internet feedback is a method to deliver information on decisions regarding a plan or project after the workshops or consultations. This is the cheapest method for informing and consulting, which reaches a large number of citizens. On the other hand, it should be noted that a large number of citizens in Serbia have no internet access (nearly half of all the households in 2011), so it is important that this method is not the only form of feedback. Strengths Feedback methods encourage dialogue and build a foundation for an exchange of ideas and opinions between decision makers and stakeholders. It is an eicient way to build the community trust and mutual respect, as well as to increase the quality and legitimacy of the adopted solutions and decisions. Weaknesses Feedback is usually a one-way process. Except in the case of the internet feedback method, citizens and other stakeholders have no insight into each other s comments and opinions. This method can be demanding in terms of time. The interest in feedback information can be low. 67

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69 SCENA RIOS Diferent scenarios of urban development planning were implemented under the project Strengthening of Local Land Management in Serbia during the year 2011/12. They were used to test: Earlier involvement of stakeholders and citizen engagement in the formal urban development planning process of a new residential area, a residential commercial zone, a brownield site, a new tourist area and urban renewal, as well as in the preparation of the strategic environmental impact assessment report; The implementation of various active participation methods, consultation and information throughout the whole process of elaboration of integrated urban development strategies. Photo: AMBERO

70 CASE SCENARIOS A case scenario denotes a project or a process in which planned participatory activities are taking place. In urban development planning practice, various scenarios are possible: urban renewal, development of a new residential area or a mixed-use zone, development of brownfield sites, tourist areas and protected natural resources, integrated urban development of the inner city areas, the establishment of environmental protection measures through the conduction of strategic environmental impact assessment or preparation of evaluation studies, and the like. In each of the scenarios presented here, different participation methods 11, were shown, mostly incorporated in the formal planning process. The given examples are adapted to the current circumstances in Serbia, and serve as an idea, not a rule, for the selection of the participation method. For each individual case, it is possible to ind diferent ways to reach a desired goal. Case scenarios are divided into two groups, based on the role of participation in the process: 1) the introduction of early participation in urban planning (involvement of stakeholders and citizen participation) and 2) participatory planning (which is in the area of informal planning). 11 Informing methods are explained in more detail and with concrete examples in the chapter Participation Methods. Photo: AMBERO 70

71 An overview of implemented participation scenarios in the planning processes of urban development under the project Strengthening of Local Land Management in Serbia, the year 2011/2012. SCENARIOS New housing development Development of a new commercial residential zone Brownfield site development Urban renewal and tourist attraction development Tourist area development and protection of natural resources Strategic environmental impact assessment CASE STUDIES Detailed Regulation Plan for the new residential area Resava, Despotovac Detailed Regulation Plan for development of the new commercial residential zone Jugovo, Kladovo General Regulation Plan Industrial Zone Sport Airfield, Kraljevo Detailed Regulation Plan for a new marina, Smederevo Detailed Regulation Plan for development of the tourist area Rajkovo, Majdanpek 12 SEIA for a new residential area Resava, Despotovac 13 Comparative Location Study environmental aspects, Despotovac SEIA for development of the tourist area Rajkovo, Majdanpek PARTICIPATION EXAMPLES Early stakeholder involvement and citizen participation Early stakeholder involvement Early stakeholder involvement Early stakeholder involvement Early stakeholder involvement and citizen participation Early stakeholder involvement and citizen participation Integrated urban development of an inner city area Integrated Urban Development Strategy for the inner city area, Kragujevac 14 Integrated Urban Development Strategy for the inner city area, Užice Stakeholder involvement and citizen participation throughout the whole planning process 12 First prize at the 21 st Salon of Urbanism (2012) in the category Environmental protection through studies and plans. 13 Second prize at the 20 th Salon of Urbanism (2011) in the category Environmental protection through studies and plans. 14 First prize at the 21 st Salon of Urbanism (2012) in the category Research and studies in the field of Urban Planning. 71

72 DESPOTOVAC Housing development Resava The urban development planning process for a new residential area implied the preparation of a Detailed Regulation Plan, as well as the conduction of a Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA). During the preparation of Comparative Location Study and Urban Design, a number of discussion groups, workshops and presentations with key stakeholders (the local government representatives, Planning Commission members, representatives of public enterprises and local institutions and citizens) were organized. At the very beginning of the plan development, a round-table discussion (scoping meeting) with representatives of public enterprises was held, in order to harmonize the requirements for the plan development and strategic environmental impact assessment. After that, a Choice catalogue workshop with stakeholders and citizens was organized where the topics of public spaces, housing types, landscaping, fences and facades were discussed and deliberated. Citizen voting results were included into the planning solution at the early planning stage (Predraft Plan). The parallel process of urban planning and SEIA also implies a joint public inquiry in order to incorporate the protection measures into the draft plan. The plan was adopted in December Improvements in working with citizens I think that a public inquiry does not provide the opportunity for the appropriate level of citizen participation because many actors are often uninformed about this participatory event. I believe that, prior to the drafting of planning documents, and after a decision is made, all owners of properties covered by the planning document should receive backup information in writing. It is necessary to make a visual simulation showing the location development and desired outcomes, and to organize a couple of meetings with citizens to discuss the basic ideas and development directions. (Darko Petrović, Directorate for Construction, Despotovac) Citizens must be involved at the early stages of the plan elaboration, and especially at the early stages of conducting Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment. Since they are the ones using planned spaces, their experience and knowledge can be invaluable. (Evica Rajić, ECOlogica Urbo, Kragujevac)

73 LEGEND Strategic planning (steps in the process) Formal procedure Informing Consultation Active participation 2.1 Discussion groups and workshop Comparative Locations Study 2.1 Discussion groups and workshop Draft Urban design 1.5 Conference Urban design 3.6 round table Planning Conditions Scoping meeting 2.4 Choice catalogue Planning Concept Preliminary SeIA report Draft Plan SeIA 2.5 Public Inquiry Plan Proposal Photo: AMBERO 73

74 КLADOVO Development of a new commercial residential zone Jugovo For the purpose of developing a mixed-use commercial residential zone in Kladovo, the instrument of urban and architectural design was used as a basis for the elaboration of the Detailed Regulation Plan. The collaboration was established in order to pursue the initiative of the Urban Planning Department and Local Economic Development Oice of the Municipality of Kladovo aiming at the elaboration of the Detailed Regulation Plan for the Jugovo area. The instrument of urban design was used to examine the possible contribution of commercial, service and craft activities to tourism development, as well as nautical and business infrastructure, housing and utilities, development of diferent activity types, urban structure varieties, traic, and the public green areas concept and land reparcellation proposals. The urban design proposal served as the basis of the economic feasibility calculation investment and additional costs and the veriication of the economic feasibility of the project in terms of costs and subsequent costs, maintenance, business volume, etc. Representatives of the local government (Urban Planning Department, Oice for Local Economic Development and Cooperation with Diaspora), public enterprises and municipal institutions were actively involved in the urban design development in order to obtain a direct contribution of a local community to the project implementation, to strengthen the local capacities and to raise the level of acceptance regarding the introduction of new instruments in the process of urban planning. The inal presentation for the representatives of local government and Planning Commission showed a three-dimensional model of the project. Establishing cooperation between organizations In the case of urban design in Kladovo, the local government played a key role in determining land use and construction possibilities. A series of meetings and workshops at diferent planning stages were used to present and discuss development proposals and obtain comments and suggestions for future work. The development process involved local public enterprises, as well as the electric power distribution enterprise, which was important because of the signiicant location restrictions the existing power corridors. The process resulted in the adoption of the planning solution which provides the local authorities with a chance to start with phased project implementation, in accordance with the real needs and possibilities. (Dragana Biga, Arhiplan, Aranđelovac) 74

75 LEGEND Strategic planning (steps in the process) Formal procedure Informing Consultation Active participation 2.1 Discussion groups and workshop Draft Urban design 1.5 Conference Urban design Planning Concept Draft Plan 2.5 Public Inquiry Plan Proposal Photo: AMBERO 75

76 SMEDEREVO Urban renewal Detailed Regulation Plan As one of the urban development priorities, Smederevo has chosen a marina development at the conluence of the Danube and the Jezava rivers, next to a Serbian medieval fortress. The development of a marina aims at improving the local tourist ofer and economic development, but also at upgrading the neglected river basin and the location characterized by mixed-use and illegal construction. In addition to the Detailed Regulation Plan, the project also included the preparation of a Feasibility study, containing an urban and architectural design proposal, a model and a project brochure. These documents and the model were presented at conferences in Smederevo and at the international trade fair ExpoReal in Munich in October In a seven-month process of the feasibility study elaboration, a number of working meetings were organized, as well as discussion groups with key stakeholders from diferent sectors of local administration and public enterprises (economic development, tourism, traic, water supply, electric power grid), national and regional institutions (water management, protection of cultural monuments), local citizen organizations, potential investors (domestic and foreign) and interested citizens. 76 Evident results The mobilization of the city s spatial resources, the initiation of diferent activities by a number of commercial, industrial and nonproit organizations and their interest in the project implementation represent an evident result of this initiative. Over the last period of time, socioeconomic factors inluencing the way and the need to involve actors who have clear interest positions are becoming more and more apparent. The actors should be involved in order not to allow impoverished citizens to become even more impoverished, to ensure the minimum conditions for the economic survival of the public institutions, to fulill the investor square footage and proit interests, and to ofer to nongovernmental organizations a chance to speak out. The adoption of the plan depends on the conciliation of these interests. (Nenad Krčum, Directorate for Construction, Urban Planning and Land Development, Smederevo)

77 LEGEND Strategic planning (steps in the process) Formal procedure Informing Consultation Active participation 2.1 Discussion groups and workshop Draft Feasibility Study 1.5 Conference Feasibility Study and Urban design Draft Planning Concept Urban design / Model and Brochure Expo Real Trade Fair Presentation Planning Concept Investors conference Draft Plan 2.5 Public Inquiry Plan Proposal Photo: AMBERO 77

78 MAJDANPEK Development of the tourist area Rajkovo With the goal to improve the tourist ofer of Majdanpek respecting the principles of environmental protection and environmental valuation, in the year 2011, a Feasibility study was prepared for the area Rajkovo, which was followed by the elaboration of a Detailed Regulation Plan and Strategic Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA) for the same area in the year The Rajkovo area, located along the Danube river and near the archeological site Lepenski Vir, represents a unique tourist ofer of the municipality of Majdanpek. The area encompasses four space entities, including Rajkovo s cave, an exceptional caving and tourist attraction. The preparation of the Feasibility study was followed by discussion group meetings, with a study laid out to the public on the oicial municipality website for the purpose of consulting with the citizens of Majdanpek. During the early stages of elaboration of the Plan and SEIA (Pre-draft Plan and preliminary SEIA report), for the irst time in Serbia, a participatory event Speak out was organized, which involved school children, interested citizens, representatives of the local government and institutions. Getting concrete ideas and proposals I have to admit that the most of the new things I have heard came from people who are somehow organized people who belong to some groups, clubs, associations, those who have articulated their wants and needs. A gentleman from Majdanpek Association, a young fellow who deals with orienteering and a girl-scout, they all had very clear and concrete ideas and suggestions. Now, when I look at the stickers on the panels, I see a clear picture of what people want, but also a desire to make it happen. (Siniša Temerinski, Arhiart, Belgrade) 78

79 LEGEND Strategic planning (steps in the process) Formal procedure Informing Consultation Active participation 2.1 Discussion groups and workshop Draft Feasibility Study and Urban design 1.5 Conference Feasibility Study and Urban design 2.1 Discussion groups and workshop Planning Concept Preliminary SeIA report 3.7 Speak Out Draft Plan SeIA 2.5 Public Inquiry Plan Proposal Photo: AMBERO 79

80 КRALJEVO Brownfield site development Industrial zone Sport Airield For business and industrial zone Sport airield, which runs along the main traic artery of the city, a Prefeasibility Study and a Building Register were prepared at the concept stage of the General Regulation Plan. The Prefeasibility study has analyzed whether and under which conditions the industrial zone can be developed, the location, market and land use analyses were conducted, as well as the project management and marketing analyses. The Building Register was formed so that potential investors could obtain crucial information about free and occupied lots, usability, construction possibilities, utility equipment and the possibility of connecting to the infrastructure network. During the elaboration of the plan, building register and prefeasibility study, a number of working meetings were organized, as well as discussion groups and workshops with key stakeholders local businessmen, representatives of the local government, the Regional Chamber of Commerce, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, ministries (Ministry of Economy and Regional Development, Ministry of Construction and Urban Planning), the Agency for Foreign Investments and Export Promotion (SIEPA) and the Privatization Agency. Alternative way of planning A signiicant result is, above all, a changed perception of experts who participated in this, an alternative planning process. They had the opportunity to learn about the process of early stakeholder participation, which always gave diferent results compared to purely technically oriented problem solving. The experience regarding the consideration of the whole extent of the planning problem is also very important, not only in terms of architecture and civil engineering, but also in terms of a multidisciplinary approach to environmental care, social needs, potential impacts on climate changes and so forth. (Mirko Miladinović, Directorate for Planning and Construction, Kraljevo ) 80

81 LEGEND Strategic planning (steps in the process) Formal procedure Informing Consultation Active participation Planning Concept 2.1 Discussion groups with stakeholders Draft Prefeasibility Study 3.1 Workshop with stakeholders Prefeasibility Study 1.5 Conference / Study Presentation 2.1 Discussion groups Privatization Agency Draft Plan Locations Atlas Building register 2.5 Public Inquiry Plan Proposal Brochure Photo: AMBERO 81

82 КRAGUJEVAC Integrated urban development strategy For the irst time in Serbia, in the years 2010 and 2011, integrated urban development strategies were made for the inner city areas of Kragujevac and Užice. The integrated urban development strategy is a new urban development planning instrument, promoted by the Leipzig Charter on Sustainable European Cities in The main strategy objectives are based on the urban renewal and the establishment of new quality measures for the valuation of space, which should be achieved through encouraging a better supply of building land, the improvement of existing technical and social infrastructure, change of land use, intensiication and reshaping of underused spaces. Every step of the Strategy development process was followed by various participatory events, tailored to suit the speciic needs of each and every step. They involved interested and active citizens, enterprises, institutions and facilities. The results of various forms of the participatory action and work with stakeholders have become an integral part of the strategy. For the conditions in Serbia, the most signiicant applied methods are: a survey, workshops, an ideas competition, visioning and world café. Promotion of interests, inluences and knowledge Transparency, the involvement of all stakeholders and the media promotion of the whole process of strategy preparation contributed to the quality improvement of urban planning and to recognizing its importance for local development. By consulting all the stakeholders, the priority measures proposed by the strategy have gained weight. For the irst time, the local government wasn t the responsible body in charge of the strategy preparation, but the local urban planning enterprise, which provided a new quality to the process and contributed to the public promotion of urban planning practice, in addition to promoting the interests of stakeholders. In fact, you can claim for centuries that you are an expert, but only when you go public and defend your opinion you can prove it. (Dragan Jevtović, Urban Planning Department, Kragujevac) 82

83 LEGEND Strategic planning (steps in the process) Informing Consultation Active participation 2.1 Discussion groups and workshop 3.1 Workshop 2.2 Survey Context analysis SWOT analysis Survey research 3.2 Design workshop Needs for intervention 3.5 Ideas competition 3.4 Visioning Vision and sectoral strategies 3.3 World cafe 3.1 Workshop Measures / Final Experts Report 1.5 Conference 2.3 Internet consultations 2.5 Public Inquiry Final Strategy Photo: AMBERO 83

84 UŽICE Integrated urban development strategy At the same time as in Kragujevac, the strategy development process was conducted in Užice. Topics like the accesibility of public services, environmental protection and public participation are important for the realization of goals and measures in all areas of city development, and are treated accordingly, as cross-sectoral issues. Providing a continuous information exchange, transparent means of communication and involvement of local partners is the key to successful realization of strategy goals and measures. The scenarios of participatory methods application are identical to those in Kragujevac. Additionally, as a very important method, we would like to single out the community visioning and slogan formulation Užice - An awesome city. Joint planning of urban development Today we had a great gathering related to the analysis of developmental capacities and aspirations of Užice up to the year This was a great opportunity for all interested citizens of Užice, the ones who show a desire and need to participate in the city planning process, to get to know the modalities and modern, European ways in which these kinds of projects can be done. I can honestly tell you, for us this was something completely innovative, completely diferent. So far urban planning has been, in a way, introverted and focused only on its own practice. For the irst time we, professionals, are learning how to engage others in a fully active way, and how to jointly plan city development by accepting suggestions and comments. (Svetlana Jevđović Matić, Deputy Mayor, Užice) 84

85 LEGEND Strategic planning (steps in the process) Informing Consultation Active participation 2.1 Discussion groups and workshop 3.1 Workshop 2.2 Survey Context analysis SWOT analysis Survey research 3.2 Design workshop Needs for intervention 3.5 Ideas competition 3.4 Visioning Vision and sectoral strategies 3.3 World cafe 3.1 Workshop Measures / Final Experts Report 1.5 Conference 2.3 Internet consultations 2.5 Public Inquiry Final Strategy Photo: AMBERO 85